“We change the world not by what we say or do, but as a consequence of what we have become” – Dr. David Hawkins

“The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind” – Wayne Dyer

“Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you sure not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward and important goal” – Maxwell Maltz

“Determination gives you the resolve to keep going I spite of the road blacks that lay before you” – Denis Waitley

This is a list of comments from test papers, essays, etc., submitted to science and health teachers by elementary, junior high, high school, and college students. It is truly astonishing what weird science our young scholars can create under the pressures of time and grades. The spellings are the original ones.

1. H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.

2. To collect fumes of sulphur, hold a deacon over a flame in a test tube.

3. When you smell an odourless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide.

4. Water is composed of two gins, Oxygen and Hydrogen. Oxygen is pure gin. Hydrogen is water and gin.

5. A super saturated solution is one that holds more than it can hold.

6. Litter: A nest of young puppies.

7. Magnet: Something you find crawling all over a dead cat.

8. Momentum: What you give a person when they are going away.

9. Vacuum: A large, empty space where the pope lives.

10. The pistol of the flower is its only protection against insects.

11. A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is.

12. To remove dust from the eye, pull the eye down over the nose.

13. For a nosebleed: Put the nose much lower that the heart until the heart stops.

14. For head colds: use an agonizer to spray the nose until it drops in your throat.

15. Germinate: To become a naturalized German.

16. The tides are a fight between the Earth and moon. All water tends towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

17. Blood flows down one leg and up the other.

BIG GOD

One day on the way home from church a little girl turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me.”

The mother said, “Oh! Why is that?

The girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s true,” the mother replied.

“He also said that God lives within us. Is that true too?”

Again the mother replied, “Yes.”

“Well,” said the girl. “If God is bigger than us and he lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?”

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAYIn Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and
Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case
against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The
argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.

The case was brought before a judge After listening to the passionate
presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, “Case
dismissed!”

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, “Your honour,
How can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas,
Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my
client and all other atheists have no such holidays.”

The lawyer said, “Your Honour, we are unaware of any special observance or
holiday for atheists.”

The judge said, “The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1
states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’ Thus, it is the
opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is
a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.”

You gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture!

today’sTHOUGHT

Every evening I turn my troubles over to God. He’s going to be up all night anyway.

Leaders aren’t supposed to do all the work of the church, but are to effectively broker the talent of their team. Good teams use every gift and enjoy both unity and diversity. Consider Paul’s philosophy of team building.

1/. The team possesses a variety of gifts or positions, but pursues the same gaol and God – vv4-6.

2/. Everyone has a contribution to make which benefits the team – v7.

3/. God is the source of each gift, so he deserves the glory – vv8-10.

4/. God chooses who has what gifts, so we must not compete or compare –v11.

5/. Team members are to function like the organs and muscles in a body – vv12-14.

6/. No team member is less important than another; all are necessary – vv15-21.

7/. Sometimes, the players who seem less important are actually more important – vv22-24.

8/. God’s goal is team harmony and mutual care – vv25, 26.

9/. Although members are equally important, they are meant to be diverse – vv27,28.

10/. We should not compete with each other, but complete each other – vv29-31.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people” – Colossians 3:23 TEV.

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps gave us an extraordinary display of the pursuit of excellence. But the truth is every athlete in the Olympics pursues excellence as peak performers in their categories of competition.

The Bible identifies five characteristics of people who excel at what they do.

1. People who excel work with enthusiasm.Regardless of whether the job is big or small, give it your best. Great performers give their best effort, no matter the size of the audience: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people” – Colossians 3:23 TEV.

2. People who excel sharpen their skills.They never stop developing, growing, learning, and improving: “If your ax is dull and you don’t sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it. It is smarter to plan ahead” – Ecclesiastes 10:10 TEV. It takes more than desire to excel, it takes skill! Remember, you’re never wasting time when you’re sharpening your “axe.”

3. People who excel keep their word. They are reliable. They can be counted on to do what they say they’ll do. So they excel because people of integrity are rare in our society: “Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!” – Proverbs 20:6 TEV.

4. People who excel maintain a positive attitude. Even under pressure, or change, or unrealistic demands, they don’t allow themselves to become negative: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life . . .” – Philippians 2:14–16 NIV. And remember: “If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes” – Ecclesiastes 10:4 NLT.

5. People who excel do more than is expected. This is a secret that every successful person has discovered. You’ll never excel by only doing what is required. Jesus said, “If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously” (Matthew 5:40–42 MSG).

The Broadway lyricist Oscar Hammerstein once told the story of seeing the top of the Statue of Liberty from a helicopter. He was impressed because of the incredible detail the artist had sculpted on an area that no one was expected to see. In fact, the Statue of Liberty was completed with no idea that man would someday be able to fly over the statue!

When you’re tempted to cut corners, thinking, “No one will ever know,” remember God is looking down and sees everything you do. Give him your best this week!

“MAN WAS MADE to dwell in a garden” says Dr. Harold C. Mason, “but through sin he has been forced to dwell in a field, a field which he has wrested from his enemies by sweat and tears, and which he preserves only at the price of constant watchfulness and endless toil. Let him but relax his efforts for a few years and the wilderness will claim his held again. The jungle and forest will swallow his labors and all his loving care will have been in vain”.

Every farmer knows the hunger of the wilderness that hunger which no modern farm machinery, no improved agricultural methods, can ever quite destroy. No matter how well prepared the soil, how well kept the fences, how carefully painted the buildings, let the owner neglect for a while his primed and valued acres and they will revert again to the wild and be swallowed up by the jungle or the wasteland. The bias of nature is toward the wilderness, never toward the fruitful field. That, we repeats every farmer knows.

Ephesians 1v18-20 “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms”.

The wisdom of the apostle Paul found in this fantastic letter is so needed in the church of our day. With outstanding apostolic insight, he prayed for the church at Ephesus and three key things emerged:

–The Believer’s Vision– His prayer is that the believers will live with hearts flooded with an understanding of the future to which God has called them. Too many Christians are caught in the past, or consumed with the present, and make little space in their thinking for the amazing promise that God has placed in our futures. Having your today, shaped by your confidence in tomorrow, has an outstanding effect on issues of purpose and priority.

The Believer’s Value – The values of each Christian is not secured by what they own, what they drive, or where they live. Paul said, I want each believer to fully understand that what really makes them rich is the inheritance that God has given to His people. The Christian believer, who has even the most humble of earthly possessions, has access to all the riches of Christ.

The Believer’s Victory – As far as God is concerned, all power struggles ended at the cross of Christ. His might was never more powerfully displayed than in his victory over the dominion of eternal darkness. Because of the Cross of Christ, we win! Paul said this very same power is currently available to all who believe in Christ.

My prayer today is that as leaders and ministers you will have a fresh revelation of the following…

Phillip Stephen Aiken (Steve), pastor of All Nations Christian Fellowship (ANCF), Edinburgh, has been with the Assemblies of God UK since 1995. An American, his AoG church in Oregon, USA, sent him out in December 1979 to work with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) Scotland. Previously Steve spent several summers with YWAM in Scotland and 6 months working with missionaries in Indonesia.

During his 7 1/2 years with YWAM Steve worked with various evangelistic outreaches, spoke in churches of all denominations, taught discipleship courses and is a founding member of There is Hope Scotland, a project supporting local churches in evangelism, discipleship and prayer for revival.

Steve worked with Leith Baptist, Edinburgh, a charismatic Baptist church, during and after his time with YWAM, teaching, preaching and serving on the leadership team. He was also a team member of two two-month outreaches to the tribal areas of Malaysian Borneo. The second trip in 1998 was with his wife of two weeks.

For 5 1/2 years Steve pastored a small church with the Edinburgh City Mission. While there he established a nursery that served the local community for 12 years.

In 1995 Steve joined the leadership team of Sonrise Christian Fellowship, a new church established by New Zealanders Tony and Vicki Walker and team. Steve established and oversaw their training school and shared the preaching and teaching. During this time three other ministries were planted–two other congregations and a children’s work.

Steve became the pastor of the main congregation in 1999. Later each of the other ministries were released to become independent works. In June, 2000, Sonrise amalgamated with Capital Christian Centre, another Edinburgh AoG church, changing the name of the combined fellowship to All Nations Christian Fellowship.

This fellowship of members from the UK, various African nations, the Philippines and America, is raising funds to build a new ministry centre and community cafe in the Oxgangs area of Edinburgh. Through this Steve and the congregation hope to serve the community, discover needs, and minister Jesus. Already a number of opportunities have arisen amongst those needing deliverance from addictions.

Steve has now spent half his life in Scotland. He is married to Emma, a professional stained glass artist, and his two daughters, Amanda and Melanie.

CONNECTION: In His teaching and instruction in relation to the Beatitudes they are simply joined one to the other. They are sweetly and soundly united and they are to be seen to relate in creating and cultivating a genuine subject of Christ’s kingdom. The one moves on easily and readily to the next and all are seen to be essential if there is to be both birth and growth in the kingdom of God. The humility evident and established will be noted in this next quality – spiritual sorrow.

CONTRAST:Basic English – “Happy are those who are sad.” The statement appears to be utterly contradictory because gladness and sadness do look to be opposites. How can they be united together?

“What a paradox: happy are the sad! Can sorrow be a blessing? No worldly teacher would talk so. Such a beatitude is not only a contradiction of terms, it is a denial of all we associate with that spirit of well being we call happiness” – Aaron Linford

What may be termed happiness may be far removed from such when fully examined and investigated because it has within it malignant and destructive factors. But there is a divine benediction to be found in a godly sorrow that leads on to greater things in and through God in a meaningful way and experience. It is to be seen not as a sorrow that brings about the tearing and wearing down of a person, rather the basis on which leads to salvation and the construction of a very blessed life. God is the cause and source of the mourning and therefore the sequence and ultimate consequence will be most rewarding.

CONTEXT: In what context is the word mourning and sadness to be understood? In the world of sin and evil in which we live, and as a consequence of sin working within us, the result is the production of hardened and insensitive state. The broken condition over such is what is required but because of the hardness without it is not an easy spirit to produce. It takes a work of God by His love and grace.

“To retain a sensitive spirit is a boon. So much of this world tends to dull our sympathies and harden our tender feelings. The virulent pressures of circumstances can make us callous. Hopeful youth gives way to cynical middle-life; the optimism of early days descends into pessimism of later years. Idealism is displaced by realism-and all to the detriment of our dreams and the deadening of our finer selves. In a cold unfeeling world it is indeed a blessing to retain a tender care that feels for all” – Aaron Linford

Once this Beatitude is understood and is in evidence the end result will be truly profitable. The spiritual mourning which is indicates a dark and sad day will issue in a spiritual morning (minus the u) which will issue into a glorious new day of light and joy.

The verse divides into two: the Sadness and Gladness of the Mourner.

1/. THE SADNESS OF THE MOURNER

The mourning is inspired and influenced by God and so has within it the basic ingredient of bliss because of its origin. Blessed by the knowledge as to who is actually behind the brokenness that has come to the spirit and sensitive to what it is all about. Unless this is grasped and understood then the mourning will not make sense or reason and produce nothing of worth. It is more than turning on a weeping session. Behind and beneath it all God is at work seeking to incite the sorrow that will generate better things.

Illustration: Play actors have the power to turn on the water-works

Understand the real reason for it:The mourning in not due to personal bereavement over the loss of some one or thing grievous as such is. Much more is meant that natural and material loss. Even that can be of a painful and distressing order – e.g. Jacob – Genesis 42: 38. It is mourning that relates to the spiritual condition, of a person’s real state and standing before God. When a person allows his/herself to come under the close scrutiny of God, in His presence they perceive His nature and holiness and their nature and sinfulness. It is more than a surface encounter – Isaiah 6. God’s loveliness shows up an individual’s ugliness created by sin and there is holy mourning of lost likeness to God. It is a heart-broken experience, sensing He has all that is beautiful etc., and we have and nothing.

Take note of the full range of it – what it actually covers: Whilst profoundly moved over the lost likeness to God because of sin, the grief goes even further and touches other aspects of a sad and serious nature. Barclay – “O the bliss of the man whose heart is broken for the world’s suffering and for his own sin.” The revelation of the situation around in society deeply affects a true subject of Christ’s kingdom as he beholds its corruption and degeneration. Having been brought into Christ’s pure and true kingdom he knows the difference and is broken and burdened over those who are under the heel of Satan and sin. The bondage and misery of those outside Christ’s kingdom profoundly disturbs and causes a sorrowful spirit and concern.

Discern the true reality of the grief expressed:The word for mourn is the strongest used in the Greek language. It is the passionate word employed for the mourning of the dead, the passionate lament for one who was loved. The word in the Greek Septuagint – Genesis 37: 34. It is not a professional mourning but that which is heartfelt and free from hypocrisy – John 11: 35.

Illustration: It is told that once Elgar, the great musician as listening to a young girl singing. She had a beautiful voice and a well-nigh faultless technique, but she just missed greatness. “She will be great” said Elgar, “when something happens to break her heart.”

2/. THE GLADNESS OF THE MOURNER

This emphasizes the truth and fact that the mourning is worthwhile and profitable. The word – parakalein is the rarest of meanings. Comfort is part of it but more is implied and embodied. The idea is that it is a ministry that affords every divine encouragement and such inspires and instils with strength and enabling of a vital quality.

It a comfort that affords true and full forgiveness: There is known and sensed a deeper and greater work of grace in terms and tokens of forgiveness which is reflected in transformed state in a person’s spirit and attitude. It is more than a surface washing. It is like a spiritual sauna that opens up all the pores for spiritual cleansing which is intended to lead on to a greater kingdom life and living.

“When a man goes to God with the godly sorrow of repentance he is not only comforted with the jpoy of past sins forgiven and forgotten; his heart is filled with courage; his mind is stimulated to new thoughts and new understandings and new adventure; the flickering flame of his life is fanned to a flame. His whole life is caught up into the strength and beauty of God” – W. Barclay

It is a comfort that offers the knowledge that there is a perfect and absolute standing in God’s favour, grace, power and fullness: Grace not only forgives, it admits into a favoured position with God – Romans 5: 2. From a bereaved to a blessed state that holds so much. It is into a unique relationship with Himself so that He can confer much more upon than ever before.

Parakalein – used to summon to one’s side as an ally, a helper, a counsellor, a witness. Used to invite to a banquet. In this experience the Lord invites the mourner as an honoured guest and not as a criminal. He is there to gladden and not sadden etc.”

It is a comfort that reveals the final goal that is to be achieved: The old self image is removed and a divine image comes to the fore of a God-like nature – Psalm 17: 5. The brokenness will accomplish the blessedness of being and becoming like God. This is the ultimate that Christ has in mind – Romans 8: 29. There can be no better or greater thing for every subject to become like God through Christ and it commences when a person becomes mouldable and manageable in an through a genuine spirit of brokenness.

This has to become manifest both in sinner and saint and leads on to real growth!

Rev. A. Linford, before his decease, was recognized as a good, great and interesting Bible teacher in the Assemblies of God Fellowship for many years. He was a well-loved Bible College lecturer and writer that bequeathed a tremendous amount of Biblical material in his generation. What a legacy he has left to be researched and brought forth to refresh our day! We shall be using such on this site: His writings from the book of Proverbs and also his Editorials that he wrote for the Redemption Tidings when he was its editor. I trust you will enjoy and appreciate

MERCY HAS ITS REWARD

“The merciful man doeth good to his own soul” – Proverbs 11: 17-19

Three contrasts dominate this passage: the merciful and the cruel, the wicked and the righteous, the unscrupulous and the honest. Lift is full of such opposites. The Bible points out evil, that we may avoid it, and good, that we may attain it. The wise man is he who is able to discriminate between what is morally acceptable and what is morally reprehensible.

Atmosphere: A kindly man, for so the Hebrew word for ”merciful” (chased) means, pursues acts of benevolence. He lives in an atmosphere of good will of his own creation. It is a healthy atmosphere. Living in this realm of kindness he “doeth good to his own soul”. Unselfish living is happy living; happy living is healthy living – you cannot do good to others without enjoying some benefit to yourself. But the “cruel man”, harsh and self centred, destroys his own health by crabbed and miserly ways. His narrow- mindedness shrinks his soul into turgid bitterness.

Activity: The endeavours of the wicked may produce apparent prosperity, but it is “deceitful wages” in that it possesses only temporary value. Such riches “profit not in th: day of wrath” (vs. 4). But deeds of the righteous are like a plenteous sowing that leads to a bounteous reaping. To him that scattereth good is a sure reward, but the works of the wicked bring ultimate disappointment add loss.

Attitude: “Tendeth” – the leadings of a good man produce a benevolent attitude, he is biased towards the holy, the kindly and the noble deed. His inclination is not only holy, it is healthy: a clean mind leads to clean living – a defence against disease. Microbiology has proved that virtue keeps harmful viruses at bay: holiness and health are closely linked. Salvation is wholeness for body, mind and spirit. The wicked are self destructive, defying the laws of God, their immunity is undermined, their virility sapped, their life shortened.“The wages of sin is death” – Romans 6:22 in more senses than one.

Word Studies is presented by Rev. K. W. Munday, retired minister and former General Secretary of Assemblies of God for many years. He has served the body of Christ with grace and distinction, is an excellent, quality preacher and speaker, broadcaster, writer of books and still active in Christian service. His contributions here on Word Studies should prove a great means of blessing, inspiration and instruction.

UNIVERSE

The Cosmos, containing all the many stars, planets and suns in all the galaxies. The dictionary summarises the word as defining ‘everything’. That means everything material.

The whole of creation is regarded as a UNIverse (ie of purposeful design) rather than a Chaos which indicates a random collection with no particular order.

It would appear to be infinite, or at least the space is in which it operates does. How far does space reach? If one could travel far enough is there a brick wall at the end of space, and if so, what is behind the brick wall? Even the distances that have already been measured are mind-boggling’, they are so vast that they are counted in light-years (186,000 mikes per second) and even at that rate our own galaxy would take hundreds of years to cross it!

We on planet earth occupy a tiny spot in our particular galaxy, and the sun is the centre of our solar system. The number of other solar systems could be thousands, if not millions, and the search goes on.

The question is often asked ”Is there life on other planets?” The enquiry may be prompted by the fact that if so many other worlds exist why should they be uninhabited? Why are they there? The scientists feverishly seek an answer, but to date there has been no reply; apparently we have no next door neighbours! So it’s a question of Watch this space.

But despite all the questions, the magnificent structure of the Universe demonstrates two things:-

1. It declares the glory of Almighty God, in all that he has made, showing His power and wisdom

2. It is a testimony to His existence. In ”The Message” – a paraphrased edition of the New Testament, it states in Romans chapter One: ”The basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is. By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see, what their eyes as such cannot see – eternal power for instance – and the mystery of His divine being”. Have you got the Message yet?